• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.7-18
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• 2021

Purpose: The long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) in children with ulcerative colitis (UC) have not been well-evaluated. Here, we reviewed the long-term durability and safety of IFX in our single center pediatric cohort with UC. Methods: This retrospective study included 20 children with UC who were administered IFX. Results: For induction, 5 mg/kg IFX was administered at weeks 0, 2, and 6, followed by every 8 weeks for maintenance. The dose and interval of IFX were adjusted depending on clinical decisions. Corticosteroid (CS)-free remission without dose escalation (DE) occurred in 30% and 25% of patients at weeks 30 and 54, respectively. Patients who achieved CS-free remission without DE at week 30 sustained long-term IFX treatment without colectomy. However, one-third of the patients discontinued IFX treatment because of a primary nonresponse, and one-third experienced secondary loss of response (sLOR). IFX durability was higher in patients administered IFX plus azathioprine for >6 months. Four of five patients with very early onset UC had a primary nonresponse. Infusion reactions (IRs) occurred in 10 patients, resulting in discontinuation of IFX in four of these patients. No severe opportunistic infections occurred, except in one patient who developed acute focal bacterial nephritis. Three patients developed psoriasis-like lesions. Conclusion: IFX is relatively safe and effective for children with UC. Clinical remission at week 30 was associated with long-term durability of colectomy-free IFX treatment. However, approximately two-thirds of the patients were unable to continue IFX therapy because of primary nonresponse, sLOR, IRs, and other side effects.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.219-227
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• 1992

Background: Acute and chronic airway inflammation are important in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Corticosteroids have proved to be very effective in the management of asthma. Although the mechanism by which they produce this effect is still debated, suppression of the inflammatory response is thought to be the most likely. Although inhaled steroids are known to be safe and have less side effects than oral steroids, the extent which inhaled steroids have beneficial and the detrimental effects in the treatment of asthma has remained open to question. Budesonide is a recently developed corticosteroid for inhalation treatment with a strong local effect combined with rapid inactivation in the systemic circulation. We set out to look in more detail at the time course of change in bronchial reactivity, clinical symptoms and the effects on the adrenal function during 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide (800 ug per day). Methods: Clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test, histamine $PC_{20}$, serum ACTH and cortisol (8 AM and 4 PM) were measured in 23 allergic asthmatic patients before and after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. Results: 1) Pulmonary function test; PEFR, FEV1 and FVC after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide were higher than those before treatment. 2) Clinical symptoms; Clinical symptoms were significantly improved after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide. 3) Histamine provocation; Histamine $PC_{20}$ after 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide was significantly higher than that before treatment. 4) Adrenal function; 6 weeks of budesonide therapy did not significantly affect the level of serum ACTH and cortisol. Conclusion: From these results, it is concluded that budesonide therapy improved the clinical symptoms, pulmonary function and bronchial hyperreactivity after 3 weeks of treatment and the improvement after 6 weeks of treatment was higher than that after 3 weeks of treatment. During 6 weeks of treatment with budesonide, the inhibitory effect on the adrenal function was not obvious.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.530-542
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• 2000

Background : Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) has been reported recently to have shown much better response to medical treatment and better prognosis compared with idiopathic UIP. However, clinical characteristics of idiopathic NSIP discriminating it from UIP have not been clearly defined. Method : Among 120 patients with biopsy-proven diffuse interstitial lung diseases admitted to the Samsung Medical Center between July 1996 and March 2000, 18 patients with idiopathic NSIP were included in this study. Retrospective chart review and radiographic analysis were performed. Results : 1) At diagnosis, 17 patients were female and the average age was $55.2{\pm}8.4$ years (44~73 years). The average duration from development of respiratory symptom to surgical lung biopsy was $9.9{\pm}17.1$ months. Increase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid lymphocytes ($23.0{\pm}13.1%$) was noted. On HRCT, ground glass and irregular linear opacity were observed, but honeycombing was absent in all patients. 2) Corticosteroids were initially given to 13 patients, but the medication was stopped in 3 patients due to severe side effects. Further medical therapy was not possible in 1 patient who experienced streroid-induced psychosis. Herpes zoster (n=3), tuberculosis (n=1), avascular necrosis of the hip (n=1), cataract (n=2) and diabetes mellitus (n=1) developed during prolonged corticosteroid administration. Of the 7 patients receiving oral cyclophosphamide therapy, hemorrhagic cystitis hindered one patient from continuing with the medication. 3) After medical treatment, 14 of 17 patients improved, and 3 patients remained stable (mean follow-up ; $24.1{\pm}11.2$ months). FVC increased by $20.2{\pm}11.2%$ of predicted value and the extent of ground glass opacity on HRCT decreased significantly ($15.7{\pm}14.7%$). 4) Of the 14 patients who had stopped medication, 5 showed recurrence of NSIP and 2 became aggravated during steroid tapering. All patients with recurrence showed deterioration within one year after completion of initial treatment. Conclusion : Since idiopathic NSIP has unique clinical profiles and shows good prognosis, diagnosis different from UIP, and aggressive medical treatment are needed.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2004

Purpose: Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP) is a small-vessel vasculitic disease that most often affects the skin. Abdominal symptoms precede the typical purpuric rash of HSP in 14~36%. It is a challenge to diagnose HSP in the absence of a rash, because there are no biologic tests that can identify HSP with certainty, so we tried to find out the characteristic features of HSP gastroenteropathy without purpura before diagnosis. Methods: This study included 82 children with HSP who had been admitted or visited outward of the Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University Hospital from 1995 to 2000. The cases that the onset of purpura preceded or coincided that of abdominal pain were defined as purpura-positive group. The cases that the onset of abdominal pain preceded purpura more than 1 week and purpura was not presented till diagnosed as HSP gastroenteropathy were defined as purpura-negative group. We compared and analyzed the clinical features of the two groups by reviewing the medical records retrospectively. To ensure the diagnosis of HSP gastroenteropathy, we conducted upper GI series, abdominal ultrasonogram, abdominal CT, endoscopy and/or skin biopsy. Results: The number of cases of purpura-positive group and purpura-negative group were 72 and 10, respectively. There is no difference between two groups in the incidence of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Children with HSP gastroenteropathy had characteristic erosive or ulcerative lesions in the stomach or duodenum on esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or mural thickening of the small bowel on abdominal ultrasonogram, CT or upper GI series. Skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis in 3 of them, although biopsy specimen was taken from any areas of normal- appearing skin. In purpura-negative group, 9 patients improved by steroid therapy. Conclusion: In purpura-negative group, there is no diagnostic feature on the laboratory findings and clinical features. Therefore, to diagnose HSP gastroenteropathy in patients with abdominal pain in the absence of the characteristic rash, careful observation of clinical features and laboratory data, and prompt application of available diagnostic tools such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, radiologic study and skin biopsy are recommended. Early use of corticosteroid may reduce the suffering in these patients.